COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Ashe County

North Carolina · 24,384 residents · 426 sq mi

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The short version

Ashe County is a county of 24,384 people in North Carolina. At a median age of 42.1, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Owners hold 81% of the housing stock. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 24% national rate. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 26%. Median rent is $375 a month.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $42,589

Older

median age 42.1

US median: 35.2

Less educated

12% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 24%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $120,530

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

24,384

+10%since 1990

from 22,209 in 1990

1990 – 2025

Median age

42.1

+9%since 1990

from 38.7 in 1990

US average: 35.2

Land area

426 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202427K

Age distribution, 2000

Under 55.3%(1,295)

US avg: 6.8%

5 to 95.3%(1,295)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 145.6%(1,358)

US avg: 7.3%

15 to 195.9%(1,439)

US avg: 7.2%

20 to 245.2%(1,269)

US avg: 6.7%

25 to 3412.1%(2,950)

US avg: 14.2%

35 to 4414.9%(3,644)

US avg: 16%

45 to 5415.3%(3,728)

US avg: 13.4%

55 to 6412.4%(3,029)

US avg: 8.6%

65 to 749.5%(2,328)

US avg: 6.5%

75 to 846.1%(1,490)

US avg: 4.4%

85 and over2.3%(559)

US avg: 1.5%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$28,824

+15%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $18,951 in 1990

US average: $42,589

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$16,429

+72%since 1990

from $9,545 in 1990

US average: $21,522

Poverty rate

13.5%

−5.0 ptssince 1990

from 18.4% in 1990

US average: 12.4%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$86,800

+15%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $57,200 in 1990

US average: $120,530

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$375

+7%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $265 in 1990

US average: $602

Owner-occupied

81.0%

−1.7 ptssince 1990

from 82.7% in 1990

19.0% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.8%(21,946)

Black0.5%(118)

Hispanic / Latino0.6%(131)

Asian0.2%(50)

2000

White, non-Hispanic96.1%(23,440)

Black0.6%(155)

Hispanic / Latino2.4%(590)

Asian0.2%(57)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican4.5%(1,212)

Puerto Rican0.5%(127)

Cuban0.4%(121)

South American0.3%(74)

Central American0.2%(60)

Honduran0.1%(36)

Dominican0.1%(33)

Chilean0.1%(31)

Colombian0.1%(25)

Guatemalan0.1%(22)

Ecuadorian0.1%(18)

Salvadoran0%(2)

Asian origin

Vietnamese0.3%(77)

Chinese0.1%(17)

Korean0.1%(16)

Filipino0%(8)

Japanese0%(1)

Ancestry

American31.3%(8,423)

English15.3%(4,133)

Irish9.2%(2,480)

German9%(2,416)

Scottish3.5%(945)

Scotch-Irish3.3%(894)

Italian2.6%(690)

French1%(258)

Polish0.9%(251)

Welsh0.7%(190)

Norwegian0.7%(184)

Dutch0.7%(179)

+ 17 more ancestry groups with data

Swedish0.6%(167)

Subsaharan African0.5%(129)

British0.3%(90)

Danish0.2%(61)

Russian0.2%(50)

Swiss0.1%(40)

Austrian0.1%(34)

Romanian0.1%(32)

French Canadian0.1%(27)

Lithuanian0.1%(26)

Hungarian0.1%(22)

Czech0.1%(20)

Greek0.1%(16)

Turkish0.1%(16)

West Indian0%(12)

Ukrainian0%(11)

Jamaican0%(1)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Mexican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

12.1%

+3.9 ptssince 1990

from 8.1% in 1990

US average: 24.4%

High school or higher

68.6%

+13.0 ptssince 1990

from 55.6% in 1990

US average: 80.3%

Graduate degree

3.9%

+0.8 ptssince 1990

from 3.1% in 1990

US average: 8.8%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

18.3 min

−20%since 1990

from 22.8 min in 1990

US average: 17.6

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status

Men 15+

Never married20.9%(2,082)

Married67.5%(6,717)

Widowed2.7%(266)

Divorced8.9%(889)

Women 15+

Never married13.6%(1,421)

Married64.8%(6,788)

Widowed14.5%(1,518)

Divorced7.1%(747)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

9.8%

−8.3 ptssince 2013

from 18.1% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

43.5%

−2.1 ptssince 2020

from 45.6% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

21.5%

−1.4 ptssince 2020

from 22.9% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

29.5%

+2.0 ptssince 2020

from 27.5% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

21.0%

+3.3 ptssince 2020

from 17.7% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.5%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 2.7% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

63.3%

−3.8 ptssince 2020

from 67.1% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

46.5%

+4.9 ptssince 2020

from 41.6% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)16.9%(251)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)16.9%(250)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era50.3%(746)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4.2%(62)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,482 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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